Jacob Elordi’s “hot monster” in Frankenstein turns out to be one of the year’s best performances

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Before the first images of Jacob Elordi as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein were released, discussions began about how his good looks would affect the character. Many people predicted a strikingly attractive monster, largely because Elordi is already known as a popular and handsome actor (as noted by Toronto Life).

Once the movie actually came out, everyone started talking – and a lot of it was about how good-looking Jacob Elordi was, even as Frankenstein’s monster! It was kind of wild. People weren’t just judging his acting, they were commenting on how he still managed to look amazing under all that makeup. I saw one article on Polygon that literally said Frankenstein’s monster had never been hotter! Even the BBC brought it up, saying a ‘hunky’ monster didn’t feel right and that he was ‘just too handsome’ to be believable. It’s funny how much his looks became part of the conversation!

Whether you find the portrayal of the Creature attractive or faithful to Mary Shelley’s novel, that’s missing the point. Jacob Elordi is fantastic in the role, giving what is likely his best performance yet – and one of the year’s strongest performances so far.

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While many recognize him from Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, Jacob Elordi truly began to stand out with his performance in Euphoria. Although Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, also from Euphoria, have since become even more famous, Elordi has steadily been building a strong and diverse career with a variety of roles.

Whether it’s the intense thriller Saltburn or his portrayal of Elvis in Priscilla, Jacob Elordi consistently gives captivating performances. However, he often finds himself playing second fiddle to a co-star who receives more public attention – and whether that’s deserved is another question.

The highly praised Australian drama The Narrow Road to the Deep North recently proved its quality on television, and Frankenstein has the potential to do the same for Jacob Elordi in film. While Oscar Isaac gives a powerful and dramatic performance as Victor Frankenstein, it’s Elordi’s portrayal of the Creature that truly stays with you.

It’s not surprising that fans of Frankenstein and Guillermo del Toro often find themselves feeling more sympathy for the Creature than for Victor. But Jacob Elordi delivers a fresh take on this familiar character. While his transformation – involving 42 prosthetic pieces – is immediately noticeable, it’s Elordi’s nuanced performance that truly brings the Creature to life.

At first, the Creature can only utter his creator’s name, but Jacob Elordi’s nuanced performance clearly conveys his thoughts and growth. This development extends to his physicality as he finds refuge in the woods, becoming more at ease with his constructed body and gaining confidence. However, this newfound assurance gives way to furious anger when he confronts Victor in the climax of the story.

Jacob Elordi delivers a compelling performance throughout the film, effectively portraying both the Creature’s intense emotions and its growing connection with Elizabeth. His imposing height – six foot five – adds to the character’s presence and stays true to the book’s description of the Creature as a towering figure.

Elordi’s height definitely contributes to the perception of him as a powerful, attractive figure, and Guillermo del Toro actually wants audiences to see him that way. He explained to CBS News that the character needed to appear completely fresh and untouched, “not like someone patched up in intensive care.” Del Toro was ultimately convinced by Elordi’s eyes, which he described as possessing a disarming innocence, openness, and purity.

Despite how well Jacob Elordi acts, does his appearance truly match Mary Shelley’s original concept for the creature? While not a perfect recreation, certain details align with Victor Frankenstein’s initial idea: he specifically chose beautiful features, including “lustrous black and flowing” hair and “teeth of a pearly whiteness.”

Victor, the book’s main character, was horrified when his creation came to life. Although he’d hoped for something beautiful, the creature was made from lifeless body parts, and seeing it move filled him with dread – it was a monster even Dante couldn’t have imagined.

Guillermo del Toro’s version of the story unfolds differently. Victor’s initial dislike of the Creature isn’t about its appearance, but his own frustration with its rapid development. This evolves into jealousy when Elizabeth becomes captivated by the Creature, and then into fear of what the Creature might do. Interestingly, as the Creature grows its hair, it also becomes more appealing, even described by Polygon as a “sensitive, bruised sad boy.”

Regardless of whether you think Guillermo del Toro’s take on the creature is true to the original story, Jacob Elordi’s performance in Frankenstein is truly excellent. Now that the film is available on Netflix, let’s focus less on the attention surrounding his appearance and more on recognizing his potential as an awards-worthy actor.

Frankenstein is available to watch now on Netflix.

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2025-11-07 11:20